Apparatus for mixing fibrous components

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a process for the accurate mixing of fibrous components in a predetermined ratio, and to apparatus for the performance of the process.

United States Patent Inventors Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Georg Goidammer Ingolstadt; Gunther Mahrt, Etting, Germany Jan. 16, 1969 May 4, 1971 Schubert 8L Salzer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft Ingolstadt, Germany APPARATUS FOR MIXING FIBROUS COMPONENTS 7 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 19/145.5, 19/80 Int. Cl D01g 13/00 [50] Field of Search 19/80, 81, 1455; 177/144 (Cursory) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,842,804 7/1958 Hunter et a1 19/ 145.5

3,132,709 5/1964 Lytton 177/114 3,192,571 7/1965 Ha11enx.. 19/80X 3,293,700 12/1966 Smith 19/145.5X

Primary Examiner-Dorsey Newton Attorney-Burgess, Dinklage & Sprung ABSTRACT: The invention relates to a process for the accurate mixing of fibrous components in a predetermined ratio, and to apparatus for the performance of the process.

PATENTEDIAY 4|97| GE ORG GOLDAMMER curs/rm MAHRT jnkaess DI kl-M e 2S JPauw,

ATTORNEYS.

PATENFEBim 4 m4 SHEET 5 [1F 8 ASSORTMENT G I y 3 11555:, \pl NkL AT TORNEYS.

PATENTED m 419?:

mm 6 [1F 8 ASSORTMENT G INVENTORS agona GOLDAMMER GUNTER MAHRT nyiuksacs, own/(ac A SPRu/w- ATTORNEYS.

PAIENTEU In men rY NI 2w ,2: KM

1w Al 9 M 2 A/ 4 l vv if M d V (I 0 7 3 m Fig.10

uvmvrons GEORG GOLDAMMER GUNTER MAHRT ATTORNEYS.

I APPARATus ron MIXING ruinous COMPONENTS BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION larly through the layers either by hand or by a suitable device, a

and the resultant mixture is then delivered for further processing. To permit the maintenance of a certain ratio between the components of the mixture of fibers from different sources, the prior art provides for each fiber component a conveyor and a bale opener equipped with an automatic weighing system. The fiber is "delivered by these weighing systems to auxiliary conveyors in predetermined units of weight, and is combined into Pat. No. 875,0I I). The apparatus used in the prior art to permit the maintenance of a prescribed weight required an individual bale opener for each component of the mixture. along with an individual weighing unit, whereas the capacity of such a bale opener cannot be fully utilized if different weight per-' centages have to be combined. In the case of the component required in the smaller percentageby weight, the system always has to wait for the component corresponding to the larger percentage.

In order to eliminate the unreliability entailed in detaching and stratifying layers of the fibrous components from the'bales by hand, numerous apparatus have been invented for the ablation of fibrous materials from bales. For example, the bales of fibers are picked away in layers from underneath by means of picker fingers (W. German Pat. No. 1,098,4l) or torn away by bur rolls (W. German Pat. Nos. I,l54,74l and l,l59,824). or lifted ofi in layers by means of a gripping device (W.'German Pat. Application D 38,952 VIIa/76b). The apparatus are capable of breaking more or less a large number of bales, compression and they are notsuitable for maintaining the desired predescribed mixture ratio in thecase of bales of different materials. Even the manipulation'of the number of bales to correspond to the desired mixing ratio will not result in a precise maintenance of the prescribed mixture ratio unless appropriate mixing boxes or additional mixing systems are incorporated into the installation. This problem is due to .the great variations in the size, compression and weight ofthe individual a stratified batting (W. German quantities of the fibrous components and a programming @means for controlling the operationof the plucking meanson thebasis of the operation of the quantity-measuring means. In

this manner, aprecise quantity composition of the mixture is achieved right from the bale. T he quantity-measuring means is capable of travelling with the plucking means along the linedup rows of bales, so that all of the bales and material sources can be served by a single apparatus. To permit this apparatus to be used fora plurality of rows of bales, the plucking means is also capable of travelling transversely of the row of bales.

Another embodiment of the quantity-measuring apparatus is that it can also be located in a stationary manner at the discharge of achute or duct that is fed by the plucking means. For especially accurate mixing, the quantity-measuring means consists preferably of a single weighing device associated with one or more plucking means.

' Instead of a weighing device, the quantity-measuring apparatus may consist of a frequency-counting device that counts the plucking strokes of a plucking device-or the rotations-of bur rolls, or of an optical quantity-measuring device which determines the 'fiber density and flow through a chute or duct-supplied by the plucking means.

The weighing device has a receiving box or hopper which is lowered vertically by the weight of the fibers received and is slidably coupled to a solenoid. A potentiometer is provided for each of the components of the mixture and is set to a voltage for each component. This voltage is'to be compared with the solenoid voltage to determine when the desired weight is obtained. In this manner. all of the portions corresponding to the desired mixture ratio are plucked by the plucking device. Furthermore, the fiber receiver or hopper maybe pivotably disposed underneath the plucking device so as to be able to swing into and out of the range of the plucking device or of the transport device.

In orderto achieve a uniform working of the bales, a counting device acting as a memory is provided in the control system for each fiber component. The conveyor on which the bales. Mixing boxes and the formation of mixture stocks, however, require a great deal of space. Also these devices constitute an interruption of the continuity required in automatic installations. On the other hand due-to the substantially automated spinning processas a result of the omission of the socalled cross-doubling," a good thorough mixing in the cleaning room is important.

The problem created is obtaining the automatic mixing of certain percentages of fiber components independently of hand work and withoutthe incorporation of additional steps into the procedure.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION According to the invention, this problem is solved by taking the fibers successively from each of the sources of individual fiber components in quantities corresponding to the desired mixture ratio, on the basis of a predetermined program and independently of the number of bales involved. In this manner, a i

thorough mixing of minimal amounts of fibers is performed in the desired ratio during the very act of taking the fibers from the individual bales. The subsequent opening machines inten sify and enhance the mixing action'merely by separating the fibers into smaller tufts. The customary use of separate mixing apparatus to make up the desired mixture can thus be eliminated. The number of components in the mixture has no effect on the way in which the installation is set up, so that the machinery is simplified and the amount of machinery that s used is less, and nevertheless only one fiber extraction process is necessary and it is uniformly distributed over all of the bales.

according to the invention;

fibers are dumped runs preferably transversely of the direction of the displacement of the plucking device. In this manner the conveyor system is independent of the length of the row of bales.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Additional details of the invention will now be described with the aid of the'drawings in which:

FIG. I is a schematic top view of the fiber-mixing apparatus FIG. 2 is'the apparatus according to the invention in a front elevational view;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the plucking apparatus with the weighing apparatus;

FIG. 4 shows a hopper partially filled;

FIG. 5 shows a hopper completely filled;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side eleyational view of another mixing device with a stationary shredding apparatus for working movable fiber bales;

FIG'. 7 is a schematicside elevational view of another mixing device with a stationary picking apparatus for working movable fiber bales;

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of the program control system;

FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram for the weighing system and the programming system;

FIG. 10 is a circuit memory, and a FIG. I I isa schematic top view of another embodiment.

diagram of a counting device acting as a 3 DESCRIPTION or TH PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The process, according to the invention, consists in providing for the desired mixture ratio of the individual fiber components during breaking of the bale, by takingno more than the proper quantities of the individualcomponents successive-u ly from the individual bales on the basis of a preset program.

In this manner, a mixing together of very small quantities is performed from the very outset, so that in the bale-opening component takes place. The amount of fiber that is picked from each bale is recorded by a quantity-measuring means,

and can be adjusted as required, thereby permitting a finc'or coarse control over the proportions of the mixture:

For the performance of the process','an ablatiori 'rncans for picking fibers from the bales, a quantity-measuring means, and a program control to govern the operation of the ablation means on the basis of b the quantity-measuring means are required. These can be constructed in many different ways, the nature of the ablation means and of the quantity-measuring means being of secondary importance to the idea of the invention.

The apparatus to theinvention will now bedescribcd byv way of the preferred embodiment with reference to a plucking apparatus which can travel along rows of bales and whichv has means.

an electrical weighing system as the.quantity-measuring Pickers 4 and 41 having individual pairs of claws 42 are i mounted on columns 11 borne by a carriage 1 (FIGS. 1, 2 and operation. For example, one row is provided so as to limit the relative total movement between the pickers and-the bales; another is provided to define the area within which the in- I dividual components of the mixture are located and the different areas of attack on the bales when the layers of fibers are picked off. According to FIG. l, for example, a camshaft 9 is provided, which extends along the rails 2 adapted to guide the pickers 4 and 41'. This camshaft cooperates with a switch NW onthe carriage l. The arrangement of the cams N on camshaft 9 provides for the correct engagement of the pickers with the bales. In another row, under the carriage I, there are switches SW] and SW2-;which cooperates with cams S1 and S2 which 'define the area corresponding to-eacha'ssortment of fibers.

The fiber picker travels along .the bales in this area until the desired component quantity of fibers has been picked.

Switches EWl and EWZ are arrayed on carriage l in a third row and cooperate with cams El and E2 which limit the total length of travel along the bales and reverse thecarriage.

The operation of the apparatus is generally the'following:

Let it be assumed that l l bales of fiber B are arrayed on eachv side of .railsor track 2, l2 bales corresponding to Assortment l and i0 bales to Assortment ll. When the apparatus is started 3). Carriage 1 also bears a hopper 5, Sl that is swingingly and pivotably mounted underneath eachpicker toreceivc the I fibers therefrom. A conveyor belt 6 runs transverselyof the carriage rails .2 withintheexcursion of the swinging orpivoting hoppers 5 and 51 to serve a means for conveying to opener 61 the fibers that have been blended. The carriage l is driven bya motor M1. Motors M2 and M3 are provided to raise and lower the pickers 4 and4l Motors M4 and M5 serve swing or pivot the hoppers 5 and 51.

The weighing system for determining the amounts of fibers taken by the pickers consists, for example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, of an armature 52 which is affixed to each hopper 5, 5|, the hopper being suspended or balanced by a compression spring 54=The weight of the fibers dropped into the hopper S, 51, depresses the spring connected to the hopper, causing the armature to move further into the magnetic .field of the solenoid coil 53. A voltage proportional :to the depth towhich the armature plunges into the field of the solenoid coil is then compared with-the voltage that hasbeen preset by potenmined portions by weight of Assortment ll have also been reached, such that the'voltage equivalent to the weight desired corresponds to the voltage preset inpotentiometer 551, the carriage moveson again, and so forth. The pickers 4 and 41 and their weighing systems can operate either in synchronisrn y or independently of one another. In the latter case, however, it

is necessary to provide separate adjustable otentiometers (55, 55], etc.) on each side. Each side can then be set for a different mixing action.

The program control is essentially switching system consisting of switches cooperating with cams. Thecams are ar ranged in rows, each row serving to control a different type of" track 2, and move it from the hopper-'dumpingpoint at one 7 end tothe other end of the track in the direction of arrow Pl until switch EWI comes in contact with cam El. Switch EWl operates always in direction of travel Pl, while a second switch EW2 is-operated by cam E2 is travel direction P2. 'Swit'c'hEW-l changes the sense of rotation of motor Ml, so as to'drive carriage] toward the dumping point at the forward end of track 2 and pick up fiber along the way. The carriage 1,

however, now progresses in the'direction of arrow P2 until a cam N1 in camshaft 9 comes into contact with'switch NW on carriage 1. Switch NW thus produces a current impulse by which the drive motor M1 is disconnected and the carriage stops at the first bales B1 and B1 of Assortment l. At the same time, elevating motors M2 and M3 are operated, and the v "pickers- 4 and 4] -with pairs of claws 42 beginto pluck the tooperat'e the pairs ofclaws 42, and a motor M6 is prov ded to fibers from bales Bl and-Bl of Assortment l.

Further description of the operation of the picking system is unnecessary, since this application is not intended to cover a special bale-breaking system.

After each plucking and dropping of the fibers into the hop- I pers 5, 51,.the drive motor M1 is energized and carriage 1 travels to the next cam N1 at the next bale B. Here the plucking process just described is repeated. It the picker I 7 should reach the last bales B6 and B6 of Assortment 1 without having picked the weight of the fibers as preset on potentiometer- 55, a cam 81 operates switch SW2 at the end of Assortment l to prevent the carriage from continuing in the same direction- Motor M1 is reversed, so that carriage 1 travels back in the direction of arrow P1 to the beginning of Assortment l at bales Bi and BI, and the pickers begin to pick fibers again.

Sothat the individual fiber bales B may be plucked uniformly over their entire width, the individual bales are divided into three different areas BS1, BS2 and BS3 for the engagement of the pickers. Cams N1, N2 and N3 are placed on camshaft 9 for this purpose, in a staggered arrangcment ln this manner, when cairi'itge l is moving in the direction of arrow P2, switch NW engages only one cam Nl, N2, or N3,

depending on the position of camshaft 9, so that the bales are picked only in area BS1, BS2, or BS3.

' If the preset weight has not been picked when the carriage reaches the end of an assortment, so that the picker travels back again, cam S1 not only produces a current impulse for the reversing of motor Ml but also transmits an impulse to the camshaft motor MN so that camshaft 9 is rotated to the next camshaft position, wherein cams N2 come in contact with switch NW. Cams N2, however, correspond to areas BS2 of bales B, so that these areas are then picked and so on. This is repeated until a predetermined weight of Assortment I has been picked.

At the movement moment the predetermined weight registers correctly, as shown in FIG. 9, the weighing system 52- 53 operates a switch SL in the line for the reversing or stopping of drive motor M1, so that this line is interrupted and earns N and cam S1 cannot interact. Carriage 1 thus passes beyond cams N1 of Assortment I and reversing cam S1 to Assortment ll. When it runs past cam S1, however, the switch 81., which is operated by the weighing system, is released again by the switch SW, and the weighing system is switched to potentiometer 5S1 controlling Assortment II. This stops the picker at the bale B7 of Assortment II and also at cam N] or N2, depending on the position of camshaft 9. Here, the picking begins and continues in similar fashion as described in the case of Assortment I.

If the picker has taken the predescribed weight from both assortments, the carriage then runs past the cam S2 defining the end of the last assortment. Due to the interaction of the weighing system, carriage 1 runs on to the dumping point at conveyor belt 6. Engagement between switch EW2 and cam E2 brings the picker to a stop and the dumping is started. At the same time, camshaft 9 is turned forward one position again, so that a difierent area BS will always be picked in the next picking operation. After the hoppers are dumped, an

operation in which the fibers pass down through a trap 56 and over a chute 62 onto the conveyor belt 6, trap 56 closes automatically. Then carriage 1 travels on to the other end of the row of bales, bale B1 for the start of the next picking operation.

Since the quantity-measuring apparatus, regardless of the number of bales, always causes a further movement of the picker to the next assortment or to the emptying when the preset quantity of fibers has been reached while on the other hand the picking action always starts at the beginning of an assortment due to the action of the contacts S1, S2, an unequal treatment of the bales B could take place. To prevent this, it is ible to provide an additional device which registers the bale last worked in each assortment, so that the next bale will be worked in the next picking operation. Thus, for example, a

, memory device is provided for each assortment, this memory device consisting of a counting mechanism, represented schematically in FIG. 10, which is driven by a motor. This counting mechanism, represented in the form of a disc 7, is driven by a stepping motor M9. An indentation 71 is provided in disc 7, and a spring contact d1 engages in this indentation in the null position (picker at bale B1) and is thereby opened. When the carriage l with the pickers is running, the stepping motor M9 receives an impulse from switch NW and cam N through wiping relay d2, and rotates disc 7 one step in direction Vl. After this step, contact d1 is forced to close. After the row of bales of, for example, Assortment I has been covered by carriage 1, an impulse from switch SW, produced by cam S1, through contact :8, switches the stepping motor M9 to runback R, whereby disc 7 is also turned back in direction R1, until contact d1 again snaps into indentation 71 in the null position. The count has thus been cleared, and can begin again at bales B1.

As soon as the weighing system 52-53 signals, the attainment of the preset weight, contact d5 changes over and the carriage runs to the dumping point. When it starts again into the row of bales from bale BI, and passes each bale without stopping, an impulse is given from switch NW and cam N through contact d4 to the stepping motor M9, which consequently runs stepwise in direction R, and also turns disc 7 in direction R1, until contact 111 engages in indentation 71. This cancels the number of previously stored counting impulses and the picker again stops at the next bale, impulses being again given through wiping relay d2, so that the stepping motor M9 and disc 7 are turned in direction V and VI respectively, and the counting mechanism adds again.

If carriage l or the pickers have to run through a plurality of assortments, it is necessary to provide an individual counting system for each assortment. Counting and switching systems of this kind are sufficiently known, and therefore there is no need to show their construction or describe them in detail.

The program control can, of course, be constructed differently. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, instead of camshaft 9 with offset cams N, cams N can be arranged in adjacent rows and can act on corresponding switches NW on carriage 1 or on the picker mechanism, and it matters not whether the picker mechanism moves along bales B or the bales are moved past the picker mechanism.

It is also possible, instead of placing the cams N, S and E on the track of the picker mechanism or on the track on which the bales are carried, to mount them on corresponding tracks on the circumference of a switching drum, the length of the tracks on the drum being proportional to the distance to be covered. In this manner the entire program control system can be encapsulated in a travelling picker system, and can be driven through gearing to make its movement proportional to the distance travelled by the carriage. Where the bales are in motion and the picker is stationary, the program control can also be stationary.

The above-described division of the bales into three areas BS1, BS2 and BS3 is contemplated for bales having sufficient width, so as to achieve a uniform ablation of the bales. If, for example, narrower bales are used, uniform ablation of the bales can be achieved by division into one or two zones. For this purpose it is necessary only to stop camshaft 9, so that switch NW contacts only one cam N, or to let camshaft rotate between two positions, so that switch-NW contacts only two cams N. This uniform ablation is achieved not only regardless of the width of the bales, but also regardless of the material they contain and their density of compression.

The picking system can also be used for any desired number of rows of bales, because, according to the invention it can move not only along the rows of bales but also transversely thereof.

The pickers 4 and 41 and hoppers 5 and 51 carried by carriage 1 run on the rails 2. When one row of bales has been worked, e.g., Assortment III in FIG. 11, a manual switch stops motor M1 and starts motor M10 which drives carriage 1 along rails 22 transversely of the bale rows. Manual switching can be replaced by contact with the cam E2 in FIG. 1, so that motor M10 is automatically energized for the'cross-travel. In this manner, a plurality of large assortments, such as Assortments III, IV and V in FIG. 11, each of which makes up a set of bales, can be worked by one picker.

The transverse travel of carriage 1 is halted in each case at tracks 2' or 2" of the next row of bales by a switch 23 which encounters stop 24 and disconnects motor M10. At the same time motor M1 (FIG. 1) is started in order to drive the carriage along the bales of Assortment IV, so that the carriage 1 moves on rails 2'.

Additional embodiments of the invention are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In these cases the bales of Assortment GII are being picked from below (FIG. 6) by a bur 91, which is used in the prior art, and (FIG. 7) by plucking fingers 92, which is used in the prior art. The plucked fiber drops into hopper 62 and the weight of the dropped fiber is determined in the manner already described. When the weight corresponding to the correct proportion has been reached, the motors M7 and M8 displace the individual fiber bales of Assortments GI to GllI or change their position to obtain a different ratio. When I the correct total weight is reached, trap 57 opens and the fibers are dropped onto the conveyor belt 6.

. 7 Instead of using the weighing system described, the quantities of fiber plucked off by the picking system can also be transported pneumatically through a duct, while the output of .thefibers is registered by an optical measuring system. After a variable predetermined output has occurred in this measuring system, like the weighing system described above, an impulse istransmitted to the program control so that a picking action can take place at the next assortment, on the basis of a different preset proportion.

According to still another variant of the quantity-measuring 7 system, a frequency-counting system can be provided for determining the amount of fiber that has been taken from the bales. if, for example, a plucking device as in H08. 11 to 3 is used as the means of ablation, the amount of fiber can be determined by the number of picking strokes, and this number number of rotations of the bur rolls 91 has been completed for one assortment, the frequency-counting system, as described in the case of the weighing system, starts motors M7 and M8 so as to move the bales of the next assortment over the shredding system.

We claim:

1. Apparatus adapted to select and mix in a predetermined ratio at least two types of fibers from several open bales each thereof arranged in a predetermined pattern; comprising in combination:

a. plucking means adapted to repeatedly ablate said fibers in minimal unit amounts, as compared to the aggregate to be taken, in said predetermined ratio successively from said bales;

. quantity determining means, adapted l) to receive each said minimal unit amount so plucked from said bales, (2)

to determine the quantity thereof, and (3) to discharge the same to a conveyor means therefor;

c. programming means responsive to said quantity-determining means and adapted to position said plucking means with respect to each said bale subsequent to said quantity-determining means indicating that said minimal unit amount has been taken from the preceeding bales in said predetermined pattern, said proprogramming means being preprogrammed to permit said plucking means to ablate each of said types of fibers in said minimal amounts in said predetermined ratio; and

d. said conveyor means adapted to receive said fibers from said quantity determining means and to remove the same.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said quantity-determining means in order to determine the quantity and activatesaid programming means includes a relay, a switch operated by said relay and a voltage comparator adapted to operate said relay when a predetermined quantity of fiber is obtained.

3. The apparatus of claim I wherein said plucking means includes a picker claw adapted to repeatedly pick small amounts of fibers from any one bale, a carriage therefor adapted to position said picket claw over said bales and to raise and lower the same to come into contact therewith.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said programming means includes cams, a voltage comparator, a series of cam switches mechanically associated with each of said cams and electrically associated with said voltage comparator responsive to a predetermined position of the cam with which it is associated, said cams positioning said plucking means in accordance to said predetermined ratio as set by said voltage comparator, said cams being successively positioned upon the obtaining of each of the said minimal unit amounts.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said quantity-determinin means inclttdes a hopper carried by said carria e and a apted to receive said fibers, a potentiometer and a so enoid circuit formed by a solenoid armature and a solenoid coil, said hopper being (I) positioned beneath and traveling with said picket claw, and (2) slidably mounted with respect to its vertical travel and counterbalanced to descend as increasing weights of said fibers are received therein, said solenoid armature being fixedly attached to said hopper in slidable electrical engagement with said solenoid coil, and said solenoid coil being fixed to said carriage, the voltage of said solenoid circuit being compared to a preset voltage in said potentiometer corresponding to each said minimal unit amount.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said quantity-determining means includes a cyclic counter responsive to the number of picking strokes of said picker claw and preset to permit a certain number thereof for each of said types of fibers.

'7. The apparatus of claim i wherein said programming means includes registering means for registering the last bale of one of said types of fibers worked on in said predetermined pattern and means responsive thereto for determining with respect to the amount of fiber already obtained of said one type whether the obtaining of an additional amount of said one type needs to be obtained and if so, for causing the plucking operation to be repeated with respect to said one type.

25233 pram-:1) s'rxvll-is lux'l'mw 01-1 10:

CEH'JYIH(LATE OF COJill.IrIC'IfiON It is certified that error appears in the al ovc-i lcntified pal cat and that said Letter Intent are hereby corrected as S'HOJT] below:

Col. 1 lines 37 and 38, cancel "compression and" and substitute therefor --but--.

Col. 3 line 29, after "apparatus" insert --aocording--.

Col. 5 line 13 cancel: "movement".

Col. 8, line 1, after "minimal" insert -unit-.

Col. 8, line 29, change "picket" to "picker",

Signed and sealed this L th day of 7 January 1 972.

(SEAL) Attzest:

ROBERT GOTTSUHALK EDAARD PLFLETCHEHJR.

Acting Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said quantity-determining means in order to determine the quantity and activate said programming means includes a relay, a switch operated by said relay and a voltage comparator adapted to operate said relay when a predetermined quantity of fiber is obtained.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plucking means includes a picker claw adapted to repeatedly pick small amounts of fibers from any one bale, a carriage therefor adapted to position said picket claw over said bales and to raise and lower the same to come into contact therewith.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said programming means includes cams, a voltage comparator, a series of cam switches mechanically associated with each of said cams and electrically associated with said voltage comparator responsive to a predetermined position of the cam with which it is associated, said cams positioning said plucking means in accordance to said predetermined ratio as set by said voltage comparator, said cams being successively positioned upon the obtaining of each of the said minimal unit amounts.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said quantity-determining means includes a hopper carried by said carriage and adapted to receive said fibers, a potentiometer and a solenoid circuit formed by a solenoid armature and a solenoid coil, said hopper being (1) positioned beneath and traveling with said picket claw, and (2) slidably mounted with respect to its vertical travel and counterbalanced to descend as increasing weights of said fibers are received therein, said solenoid armature being fixedly attached to said hopper in slidable electrical engagement with said solenoid coil, and said solenoid coil being fixed to said carriage, the voltage of said solenoid circuit being compared to a preset voltage in said potentiometer corresponding to each said minimal unit amount.
 6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said quantity-determining means includes a cyclic counter responsive to the number of picking strokes of said picker claw and preset to permit a certain number thereof for each of said types of fibers.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said programming means includes registering means for registering the last bale of one of said types of fibers worked on in said predetermined pattern and means responsive thereto for determining with respect to the amount of fiber already obtained of said one type whether the obtaining of an additional amount of said one type needs to be obtained and if so, for causing the plucking operation to be repeated with respect to said one type. 